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Thanks to the spectacular folks of EWFrontRow (part of Entertainment Weekly) I was afforded the opportunity to preview a new show coming to FOX this fall: Lone Star. [Side note: it was a lovely and large screener package, complete with posters, plastic tumblers, Beer Nuts, Godiva Chocolates, a t-shirt, and even more! I was absolutely shocked by the size of the box. So thanks to EWFrontRow for letting TV fans get in on the fun!!]

The Lone Star pilot is interesting. It begins with a somewhat superfluous flashback in which we meet Robert as young kid as he and his father must flee from a con that’s gone bust. Cut to 20 years later. Robert has a girlfriend and a quaint, simple life in Midland, Texas. He also has a wife in Houston, the daughter of a wealthy oil tycoon. And he’s still running scams. He’s running cons on both girls, in fact.

The real richness of the episode bubbles up when we find Robert wrestling with his heart and his conscience. He has done the one thing his father told him never to do: be himself. When faced with how to rectify these feelings, Robert makes a decision to go straight. But he is going to keep both lives; he refuses to give up either one. This is essentially the premise of the series.

An overview of the series, from the FOX site:

ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to CAT (Adrianne Palicki), the beautiful daughter of CLINT (Jon Voight), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naïve girlfriend, LINDSAY (Eloise Mumford).

In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out.

Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, JOHN (David Keith); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint.

Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.

One trick the series will face is how to keep Cat and Lindsay smart. If Robert is to be leading two–or actually three lives, if we are to include his original one as a partner in con with his father–how can these women possibly trust him implicitly? Eventually there must be some tell-tale signs that he isn’t exactly what he appears to be. If both women go through the series for too long without at least suspecting him of something strange or otherwise nefarious, then they will just come off as naïve, gullible and stupid. The writers are going to have to find a nice balance here.

James Wolk (Robert) is a definite highlight. He has a palpable charisma and charm. His smile is genuine and evokes a sensation of trust. It’s easy to see how people are easily swayed by his appeal. And this is a great thing because the series is riding on him. He is the show. I was also surprised by just how much I enjoyed Jon Voight, as well. He’s working a friendly Texas accent but he’s a man in charge and you can tell, he is a serious guy. Should he discover Robert’s lies, it should be a little fun and a little scary.

There a few caricature-type characters too. The two sons of Clint, for instance. One a bit eager but not necessarily respected, the other untrusting and openly antagonistic. A few more layers to these characters would do them so good. But it’s the first episode so there is time for development.

I am intrigued enough by Lone Star to tune in for that second episode. I want to see where it goes. It’s certainly not lacking in potential, but can it tap into that potential in a consistent and dramatic way? Only time will tell if Lone Star will settle into the drama category, or the soapy one. It has the capacity to be either. But if it can manage to be more Friday Night Lights than Grey’s Anatomy, then there just might be a winner in this new show.

Lone Star premieres Monday, September 20th, 9/8c on FOX.

I love The Soup! It’s funny and absurd and a great way to gets some laughs out of all the crappy reality tv and talk shows out there without actually having to watch them.

The Soup was awesome enough to upload this clip and tumblr user critictoo was awesome enough to post it for me to find. It further proves that Michael Emerson is brilliant and strange and yes–I’ll use the word once again–awesome.

Okay, so I have been a pretty big fan of Conan O’Brien’s since the early 90s. I was always a night person anyway and I used to stay up late on school nights and watch Late Night. And you know, Conan wrote for Saturday Night Live during its height–in my opinion anyway–when the cast was full of what would become quite a slew of well-recognized movie stars. And he wrote for The Simpsons during one of its best times as well! So basically, Conan = awesome.

But I have to be honest. I haven’t watched him a long time. I’m just not by my tv when his show is on. And I have too much shit on the DVR as is. I know if I recorded it I would just accumulate a backlog of episodes. And that just makes me feel bad. So I haven’t seen him on The Tonight Show yet. But I stumbled on this image of his set and it is just too fun and outrageous! He must have some Mario geeks n the set design staff.

Thanks to seriouslunch.com for this hilarity! Nintendo thinks “it’s great!” :

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